Ex-AFLW #31 - Megan “Mego Lego” Ryan

She was named as rover for the Grand Final?

BIG BODIED MIDFIELDER!

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(from the link in the previous post)

pro

Name: Meg Ryan
Jumper Number: 44
DOB: 13/12/1995
Height: 180cm
Position: Yet to be determined
Nickname: McGoin / Ryan
What is your Original Club? South FC Broken Hill
Match day motivation song? Whatever it takes - Imagine Dragons
What is your field of work and/or study? Disability / Fitness
Funniest team mate? Definitely not Castle, probably me.
What player in your team do you reckon is going to set the competition alight this year? Jaimi Tabb
What do you enjoy doing outside of football? Taking long walks on the beach
AFL/AFLW team you support? Brisbane Lions
What Superhero would you like to be? I am my own superhero
Something you could not live without: My retainer
What is your favourite holiday location? Barcelona

RookieMe stats confirms she does ruck:

https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/megan-ryan/

SEASON TEAM K HB D M CP UP T HO CLR I50 R50 GL GM K H D M HO T G DC
2022 NORTH ADELAIDE WOMEN’S 128 56 184 13 0 0 62 152 55 31 14 1 12 10.7 4.7 15.3 1.1 12.7 5.2 0.1 78

Knows how to cheat and get away with it!

Go to 26:00 in to hear her interviewed after the Grand Final and “hitting a few cocktail bars”. Runs for the next 26 minutes.

Says she loves the “tough stuff”.

Came over “for no reason why” in November 2019.

Two athlete brothers (soccer). Mum was Irish dancer and Dad was soccer/gaelic/hurling.

She played the female version of hurling (Camogie). She’s a long way from Tipperary now.

Only just found out drop punts are meant to spin backwards… done a few torps accidentally.

Likes Australians because we’re “chill” and “like a drink”.

Mum freaked out at a “20 hour road trip” from Sydney to Broken Hill.

Not a fan of snakes.

To quote the article: “playing as a ruck who doubles up as a” … wait for it …

big-bodied midfielder

Meg Ryan and the North Adelaide Roosters are heading towards the finals.

By Peter Argent

Meg Ryan, North Adelaide’s Irish recruit from Broken Hill football, and her Roosters teammates have finished the regular season as SANFL Women’s minor premiers despite losing their final game of the regular season.

Ryan, who wears the number 44 jumper, has been a consistent performer for North since she broke into the team in round three.

“Meg has quickly developed into an integral component of our midfield group,” North coach Krissie Steen confirmed.

“She’s a coach’s dream. Always prepared to do the work and follow instructions.

“Across the entire SANFLW competition, Meg is fifth in clearance and when you consider she is actually doing the ruck work, that makes it even more impressive.

“Unfortunately, she didn’t get to do much of our pre-season and with her improvement throughout the 2022 SANFL season, if I was an AFLW club, I’d be taking a punt on her.

“She has so much upside.”

Ryan has averaged 14.5 possessions a game across this season, along with averaging 12.3 hit outs a match playing as a ruck who doubles up as a big-bodied midfielder.

Robust in the contest, Ryan has enjoyed “double figure” disposal counts in nine of her 10 games, including season-high 19-touch games against Norwood in round six and South Adelaide in round nine.

In the round 10 fixture against Central District, Ryan collected a massive 33 hit outs and eight clearances.

“Her versatility is one of her major weapons,” Darryl Wintle, North Adelaide’s Football Manager, explained.

“Meg is capable of playing in ruck, as a big-bodied midfielder or up forward.

“Ferocity at the contest and love for a battle are other strengths she possesses.

“She has quickly connected to the group and adapted to the workloads of a SANFLW footballer.

“Meg is prepared to do the extras required.

“She needs to improve some of her footy IQ and understanding of her roles to be considered at the next level.”

Also replenishes our ginger hair playing stocks, so I approve :+1::rofl:

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Uh oh.

I’ll have what she’s having.

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Needed this weekend?

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Handballs look a bit shaky…

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Considering the announcement video in front of the group, do we now nickname Meg “The Flash”?! :crazy_face:

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Roaming Ryan is so so so much better than roaming Bryan

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The link at the bottom does not yet have the podcast episode in question.

by Stuart Kavanagh

Megan Ryan has been playing footy for just a handful of years, having made her debut with South Broken Hill Football Club in 2021, and the 27-year-old has already had her share of success.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Red Dirt Round Up podcast, the Irish-born gun revealed she had her heart set on winning a Camogie championship before she’d even heard of AFL.

“I kind of just worked my way up to county level so I was playing at the highest level from the age of about 12.”

When she turned 17, she was able to play at the senior level.

“That was a dream come true.”

During the 2022 AFLW season, Meg made her debut at the elite level with Essendon Football Club. She played two games for the Bombers in the AFLW, and although she wasn’t retained on the list for the 2023 season, she continues to play for them in the VFLW, just a rung below the AFLW.

“I’ve never played such hard football than the last four rounds in the VFL. That could be because of the clubs we have played,” Meg said.

It has been an up and down start to the season for the Bombers, with a win and a draw surrounded by a couple of defeats that sees the side sit just outside the Finals places. Despite that, Meg assures us her and her teammates have no doubt they will be around come time for the Finals series.

“I feel like we’re actually in a really good place. We had to sort out a couple of things from those opening three games and we did. We attacked Casey with pure vengeance.”

That fourth-round clash against Casey Demons also saw Meg, along with some of her teammates, play in a new role within the team. And with a huge clash against Collingwood this weekend, it is something that will hold the team in good stead.

Meg has not closed the book on potentially returning to Broken Hill and donning the red and white of South Broken Hill.

“I would love nothing more than that, honestly. Definitely in the near future, I’m 100% going to tag out in the red and white for one more time, hopefully.”

The immediate dream remains to return to an AFLW list, and Meg still harbours ambition to return to Ireland and win an All-Ireland Camogie championship.

“When I went home this Christmas, I had a couple of Camogie training sessions. My love is still there, my passion is still there.

“But AFL is the priority right now. If I can secure a spot on an AFLW list for next year it means that I can go home, win an All-Ireland Senior Camogie championship, and then come back just in time for pre-season (in the) AFLW.”

To listen to the latest episode of our podcast, The Red Dirt Round Up, click this link: Podcast - Red Dirt Roundup | Broken Hill NOW

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Haven’t spotted a podcast feed yet.

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How did I miss these previously?

(Answer: I was in Jordan.)

Wales doesn’t know a pyramid is!

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